Suicer, Johann Caspar

Suicer, Johann Caspar the author of the Thesaurus Ecclesiasticus, was born June 26, 1620. He was educated in Zurich, Montauban, and Saumur. In 1643 he returned to Zurich, and became pastor in the Thurgau, but was recalled in 1644 to the schools of the former city. In 1646 he became inspector of the alumnate and professor of Hebrew, ten years afterwards professor of Greek and Latin in the Collegium Humanitatis, and in 1660 professor of Greek and canon in the superior college (Carolinum). He remained in this position until 1683, and died Dec. 29,1684.

Suicer rendered valuable service to theology by his thorough philological labors. His earliest works were text-books for students; Sylloge Vocum Novi Test. (Tig. 1648, and 1659 with appended compend of Greek prosody; republished in 1744 by Hagenbach): — Syntaxeos Graecae, etc. (1651): — Ε᾿μπυρεύματα Εὐσεβείας, quo du'c Chrysostomi et duce, Basilii A. Homile Continentur, etc. (1658 and 1681): — Joh. Frisii Tigurini Dict. Latino Germ. et Germ. —Lat. (1661 sq.): — Commenii Vestibul. Scholarum Usuifelicius Accommodatum, etc. (1665); finally, the celebrated Thesaurus Eccles. (Amst. 1682, 2 vols. fol.; two enlarged eds. 1728 and 1821, with supplements): — Lexicon Graeco-Lat. et Lat. — Graecuni (1683) and, after Suicer's death, the Symbol. Nicceno-Const. et ex Antiquitate Eccles. Illustratum (Traj. ad Rh. 1718, 4to). Various other writings were left in manuscript, and the Lexicen Graec. Majus and Expositio Symbol. et Apost. et Athanasiani are lost. Suicer's learning in these works, particularly the Thesaurus, is so evident that Charles Patin, in his Travels, observes that Suicer understood more Greek than all the Greeks taken together.

Suicer took but little part in the doctrinal controversies of his day. He regretted their existence, and assisted his friend Heidegger in securing a modification of the Formula Consensus. —Herzog, Real-Encyklop. s.v. SEE HELVETIC CONSENSUS.